When Henry M. Leland founded the Lincoln Motor Company in 1915, he didn't know that Henry Ford would be purchasing it only a few short years later in 1922, especially since Mr. Leland was had founded Cadillac (which was the original name for the Henry Ford Company). In the midst of WWI, Leland left Cadillac and created Lincoln (after President Abraham Lincoln, his hero) in order to construct Liberty aircraft engines alongside Willfred, his son, using parts donated by Ford. Following the War, Lincoln factories were revamped and refurnished to build luxury vehicles. Leland's Lincoln company was vigorous until April of 1940, (the Lincoln L-Series' styling proved problematic for the company) at which time Ford took over and added it as a division to its existing company.

Henry Ford was ecstatic to purchase the Lincoln company, especially because his Cadillac company had been purchased by GM in 1909. Lincoln was Cadillac's top competition, and Henry made sure that the competition was a tough one. Lincoln also took on the likes of Peerless, Pierce-Arrow, Duesenberg, Packard, and Marmon. Ford didn't make any quick changes to the Lincoln vehicles; he simply did some body work tweaks and reduced Lincoln's prices. 1922 was a great year for Lincoln. 1923 was also successful. Four Lincoln sedans were constructed, as well as a touring sedan with seating for seven, a roadster, and a limousine. Lincoln worked with many coachbuilders during the time to construct unique vehicles in the 1920s and 1930s, such as the Towson, LeBaran, Rollston, and Anderson. Prices were higher than most models on the traditional market, and went up as high as seven thousand dollars. Lincoln also worked with police departments to make special Lincoln Flyers, while it offered its customers special add-ons for their vehicles.

The small Lincoln-Zephyr was showcased in the year 1936 under its own marque and was very successful, increasing Lincoln's sales by nine times their worth. Eventually, it became a model instead of its own marque, and all models for 1941 were based on its chassis. Some other models include the Lincoln Continental (the brand's flagship until 1981), which was taken over by its top trim- the Town Car. The Lincoln Navigator has also been a very popular Lincoln model since its inception; it made Lincoln the best-selling U.S. luxury brand in 1998. In 2011, Ford's Mercury line was cut, and Lincoln was slated to fill in for the company's loss. This move brought an extended Lincoln lineup and the brand's first compact car. Throughout history, Lincoln has also been known for providing the U.S. President's official limousine. The first was a custom-built limo used by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939. Several Presidents used the 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan, which was finally retired in 1965. The 1961 SS-100-X (a Lincoln Continental convertible) was used by several Presidents as well, including President Kennedy. (It got massive alterations following his assassination).

Some Lincoln models that are currently popular include the 2012 Lincoln MKS sedan, the 2012 Lincoln MKT crossover, the 2012 Lincoln MKZ sedan, and the always-popular 2012 Lincoln Navigator.